Business Group Blog

Welcome to our blog.

The Business Group Blog was created to share and discuss information about challenges and solutions to the health care benefits issues that large employers face today and tomorrow — such as controlling health care costs, reforming the health care delivery system, and engaging employees in their health and benefits — and will provide insight into national health policy issues. We hope you find this information useful and will consider subscribing to the blog and sharing any thoughts or ideas with us at blog@businessgrouphealth.org.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) launched the Health Care Payment and Learning and Action Network (LAN) in 2015 to align stakeholders across sectors in moving payment from traditional fee-for-service (FFS) methods to one linked to quality via alternative payment models (APMs). The LAN is an unprecedented collaboration of stakeholders from the private, public, and non-profit sectors whose goal is to transform the nation’s health system by supporting health care value over volume.

This year’s theme is Eyes on Diabetes. It focuses on early screening for type 2 diabetes and treatment to reduce the risk of serious complications. Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces.

Now that Donald Trump has won the presidency with a majority Republican House and Senate, what does the future of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) look like? During the campaign, Donald Trump supported Republican Congressional efforts to “repeal and replace” the law with an alternative health care plan. Will he push through with his campaign pledge?

Across the health care system, treatment of mental health conditions has traditionally taken a back seat to physical health. The same is true for emotional well-being; for years, wellness programs have focused on behaviors like healthy eating, exercise and smoking cessation, and less so on improving the emotional state of the employee. But in recent years, mental health and emotional well-being have become increasingly important to health care providers, employers, health plans and, of course, employees.

Large employers have more potential partners than ever to choose from to connect employees to high-value care. The Business Group’s Marketplace identifies dozens of vendors that provide second-opinion services, transparency tools, medical decision-support programs, disease management and several other condition-specific programs. Dozens more exist and startups looking to partner with large employers are being created regularly.

With open enrollment in full swing at most companies, your employees may be wondering how your company's health plan compares to those available on the exchange.

Premiums for health plans on the federal exchange will jump an average of 25% for benchmark plans (tied to premium tax credits) next year. This increase is substantially higher than the 2% increases in 2015 and 7% this year.